The Rule V Draft quietly closes out the Winter Meetings every year and that means the draft is kicking off. The KC Royals could definitely lose a player (Jon Keck) and could select a player at number 8 (though they have a full 40-man roster). Because so many teams have full rosters, this could be a fairly quiet draft.

Here is a run down of the Rule V Draft:

 Major league teams must protect players on their 40-man rosters within three or four years of their original signing. Those left unprotected are available to other teams as Rule 5 picks.

Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 preceding the signing of their first contract must be protected after four minor league seasons. Players 19 and older must be protected after three seasons.

…  each Rule 5 pick must be kept in the major leagues the entire following season or be offered back to his former team for half of the $50,000 selection price.

Not surprisingly (at least to me), the Houston Astros took right-handed reliever Josh Fields, who pitched in Triple-A for the Boston Red Sox by the end of last season. I had the chance to see him pitch last year and he has turned his career around. With how bad the Red Sox have been, I was shocked they did not protect him. I see Fields sticking with the Astros and being a key cog in the back end of their bullpen.

The following three players I also saw pitch the last two seasons.

Hector Rondon returned to the bullpen in the Cleveland Indians organization in 2012 after having three injury-riddled seasons (though for just seven innings). He looked good and was glad to be back pitching. He currently is pitching pretty well in Venezuela but was selected by the Chicago Cubs, who also need bullpen help

Danny Rosenbaum pitching in Wilmington in 2011 with the Potomac Nationals

Danny Rosenbaum of the Washington Nationals was selected by the Colorado Rockies, who are in desperate need of starting pitching. The lefty pitched very well in Double-A and was an Eastern League All-Star (3.94 ERA in 26 starts with 99 strikeouts). It was the first year he had an ERA over 2.59 since signing in 2009.

The Minnesota Twins selected lefty Ryan Pressly of the Red Sox with the fourth pick. He struggled the last two seasons with High-A Salem as a starting pitcher, but after moving to the bullpen, he turned his career around. In Double-A, he made 14 relief appearances to a 2.93 ERA.

The Cleveland Indians selected the current AFL MVP: first baseman Chris McGuinness of Texas. The Indians need a first baseman, so he should get a shot. He hit .268 in Double-A during the regular season, hit 25 doubles, 23 homeruns, and drove in 77.

The Miami Marlins selected LA Dodgers outfielder Alfredo Silverio. Considering no one knows what is going on with the Marlins, he probably has a legitimate shot of making the club out of spring training.

The Red Sox had the seventh pick and after losing two pitchers already, they selected a second baseman (because they do not already have an MVP candidate playing there). They picked Jeff Kobernus of the Nationals, who before being plunked in the ribs in August (and broke a few), was rumored to be a September callup. Like Rosenbaum, he was an Eastern League All-Star and hit .282 with 42 stolen bases. UPDATE: Kobernus was then traded to the Detroit Tigers, which makes a lot more sense.

The Royals had the next pick and they passed, which became the theme for the rest of the MLB phase. Only eight more players were selected over the next 29.

The Royals also passed on the Triple-A and Double-A phase. However, they lost five players in the Triple-A phase (no players were selected in the Double-A phase).

» Continue reading “The Rule V Draft”

The Arizona Fall League came to an end on Saturday afternoon, as Peoria beat Salt River, 4-3 in a protested game.

The Surprise Saguaros, and the KC Royals contingent, came in second place in the West Division at 17-14.

Let’s recap the four games in the AFL’s final week.

The Saguaros won their first two games of the week, starting with Monday. Malcom Culver picked up his first hold of the AFL season with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed one hit and induced five ground outs. He threw 11 of his 17 pitches for strikes.

In that game, Brian Fletcher played left field and batted fifth. He went 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. He also walked, but was picked off first base.

On Tuesday, Surprise picked up their second win in a row. Whit Merrifield played second base and batted second. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He also walked and stole a base.

Justin Marks picked up his first and only loss of the AFL season on Wednesday. He pitched well, but the Surprise offense collected just two hits. Marks allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. He struck out six while throwing 53 of his 78 pitches for strikes. Nick Ahmed of Atlanta picked up two triples off him.

Edwin Carl was roughed up in his final AFL outing. He allowed three runs on four hits over just 1.2 innings. He struck out one and threw 19 of his 26 pitches for strikes. Jon Keck entered in relief of Carl and needed just three pitches to escape the jam.

On offense, Fletcher was back in left field but moved down to the sixth spot in the order. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout. Orlando Calixte played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

The Saguaros lost their final game of their AFL season on Thursday. Merrifield played left field and surprisingly batted third. He went 3-for-5 with a two-run homerun. He also walked twice. His two-run homer cut the deficit to 5-3 in the 7th inning. Calixte pinch-ran in the 8th inning for the DH.

Here are the Royals final AFL stats:

Calixte: .275 (11-for-40), HR, five runs scored, 2RBIs, 2BB, 14K, SB

Carl: 0-1, 2.77 ERA, 13IP, 9H, 6R, 4ER, 2HR, 3BB, 8K

Culver: 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 5.2IP, 6H, 4R, 2HR, 0BB, 3K

Fletcher: .203 (14-for-69), four doubles, one triple, HR, nine runs scored, 9 RBIs, 17BB, 24K

Keck: 0-0, 5.59 ERA, 9.2IP, 15H, 9R, 6ER, 5BB, 7K

Marks: 5-1, 2.59 ERA, 24.1IP, 24H, 10R, 7ER, OHR, 5BB, 22K

McClure (did not play this past week): .216 (8-for-37), two doubles, 7 runs scored, 4RBIs, 2BB, 11K, 2SB, CS

Merrifield: .250 (17-for-68), one double, HR, 15 runs scored, 8RBIs, 10BB, 8K, 9SB, CS

The Surprise Saguaros went 3-3 last week, but fell to 1.5 games back of first place in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, they do not play first place Peoria in their final four games. The AFL Championship Game is Saturday afternoon (live on MLB Network).

The KC Royals contingent of players had a fairly good week.

In Monday’s loss, Brian Fletcher played left field and batted sixth. He went 1-for-2 with two walks (and no strikeouts). Whit Merrifield was the DH and batted 7th. He went 0-for-4 and grounded into a double play.

In Tuesday’s win, the Saguaros received solid pitching from a Royals duo. Jon Keck pitched two scoreless innings of relief. He did allow two hits but did not walk a batter. Edwin Carl followed and pitched a perfect inning of relief.

On offense, Fletcher was the DH and batted fifth. He went 1-for-5. Alex McClure played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

In Wednesday’s loss, Merrifield played left field and batted second. He went 0-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout. He was caught stealing for the first time in the AFL. Calixte played shortstop and batted ninth. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a stolen base. He struck out once.

Malcom Culver had a tough outing. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in one inning of work. He had a strikeout. He threw just 19 of his 31 pitches for strikes.

On Thursday, Justin Marks improved to 5-0 (tops in the AFL). He allowed one run on four hits over four innings of work. He struck out three. Marks threw 35 of his 55 pitches for strikes.

On offense, Fletcher played left field and batted fourth. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Both RBIs came with two outs. Merrifield entered late in the game as an injury replacement for St.Louis’ Kolten Wong. He went 0-for-1 with a strikeout.

In Surprise’s win on Friday night, Fletcher went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI as the DH. McClure went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the nine hole.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 5 Update”

The Surprise Saguaros lost to Scottsdale, 4-3 in the Arizona Fall League’s Military Appreciation Game live on MLB Network. They were down 4-1 heading into the 8th inning before making the comeback.

The KC Royals minor leaguers had their chance to make an impact in the game, but couldn’t come up with the clutch hit.

Whit Merrifield started in left field and batted second. He reached on an error in the first inning (though I would have given it an infield single). He then stole second base and scored the Saguaros’ lone run until the eighth.

Merrifield came to the plate in the 8th inning with a runner on first base and nobody out. He got a good swing against NYY reliever Mark Montgomery on the first pitch fastball, but fouled it down the left field line. However he struck out on the nasty slider he could not lay off of.

With two outs, the score 4-3, and runners at second and third base, Orlando Calixte pinch-hit. He flied out to right field to end the inning with a chance to at least tie the game.

Overall, Merrifield went 0-for-4. He only had one chance in left field.

Edwin Carl

Reliever Edwin Carl impressed MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci in his two inning outing. He struck out two in his scoreless outing (the fifth and sixth innings). He threw 36 of his 23 pitches for strikes. Carl was the only Surprise pitcher to get NYY prospect Slade Heathcott out (he went 2-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases). He got him to ground out to end his outing.

He was followed by fellow Royal Jon Keck, who threw a scoreless inning. He allowed a hit while also striking out two. Keck threw ten of his 19 pitches for strikes.

If you were with me in the Wilmington Blue Rocks press box this season, then you know that every game that I attended, Keck pitched (before his promotion). After Keck was promoted, it seemed like Carl pitched all the time. The two wore the same number. So when there was a pitching change, I usually called out “It’s number 30″. I was right most of the time.

Surprise has Sunday off (as does all the other teams in the AFL), before getting back into action on Monday against Scottsdale again.

It was a shorter week in the Arizona Fall League, with the Rising Stars Game taking place on Saturday night. Surprise went 3-2 during the week and are a 1/2 game back of first place in the West Division.

It was a fairly good week for the KC Royals players with the Saguaros.

Jon Keck with the Wilmington Blue Rocks during the 2012 season.

The Saguaros won their third game in a row on Monday, as Jon Keck picked up a hold. He struck out one over one inning of work and threw eight of his 12 pitches for strikes. Brian Fletcher played left field and batted fifth, but went 0-for-3. He did walk and drive in a run, but also struck out.

On Tuesday, the Saguaros winning streak came to an end, as Malcom Culver took the loss (he also got the blown save). In 2/3 of an inning, he allowed two runs on three hits. The runs scored on Kent Matthes two-run homerun in the 8th inning. In terms of pitches, he threw nine of his 13 pitches for strikes. Prior to that inning, Edwin Carl allowed one hit in an inning of work while striking out one. He threw ten of his 15 pitches for strikes.

Whit Merrifield batted seventh and played left field, but went 0-for-4. Alex McClure batted ninth and played shortstop. He went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

On Wednesday, Surprise got back into the win column. Orlando Calixte batted ninth and played shortstop. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Unfortunately, he committed two errors. Fletcher was back in left field and batted fourth, but he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

On Thursday, the Saguaros won their second game in a row behind the now 4-0 Justin Marks. He allowed one run on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and threw 29 of his 45 pitches for strikes. Keck picked up his second hold of the week with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 26 of his 36 pitches for strikes.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 4 Update”

The KC Royals contingent in the Arizona Fall League helped the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3 last week. Overall, the Saguaros are 9-7, 1.5 games back of first place in the West Division.

In Monday’s loss, Jon Keck pitched an inning of relief. Surprisingly, it was a good inning. He allowed one hit while striking out one during the scoreless inning. Keck threw 15 pitches, nine for strikes.

On offense, Brian Fletcher batted seventh and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. He played left field. Whit Merrifield was a late inning replacement in centerfield and went 0-for-1.

In Tuesday’s ten-inning victory, Fletcher went 1-for-3 with a two walks, a run scored, and an RBI. He did strike out again. Alex McClure was back at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Unfortunately, he also struck out twice.

Edwin Carl was the reason the game went into extra innings, as he picked up the blown save. He allowed a homerun to Washington Nationals prospect Matt Skole in the 7th inning. In one inning, he allowed two runs (none earned) on one hit while striking out one.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 3 Update”

The Surprise Saguaros went 4-1-1 (yes, a tie) during Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League. The KC Royals contingent were a big reason for their winning ways.

It all started on Monday, as Justin Marks picked up his first AFL victory. He allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out three and threw 28 of his 48 pitches for strikes.

In the first inning, Whit Merrifield singled, stole second base, and then scored on a single. He went 2-for-3 as the DH and batted leadoff. Brian Fletcher batted third and played left field, but went 0-for-3. He walked, struck out, and scored a run.

Edwin Carl pitched in relief and threw 16 of his 25 pitches for strikes. He allowed one hit and a walk over two scoreless innings. He struck out one.

In Tuesday’s win, Merrifield didn’t start, but went in to play second base. He went 1-for-2. Fletcher batted third again, but was the DH. The results were the same, as he went 0-for-4. He walked twice and scored two runs, but struck out three times.

Alex McClure played in his first game of the week and batted ninth. The shortstop went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs, and two strikeouts.

In Surprise’s fourth win in a row, Orlando Calixte played shortstop and batted eighth. He went 2-for-4, but struck out twice. Merrifield was back in left field and batted second. He went 0-for-3 with two walks, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Jon Keck made his first and only relief appearance of the week and it wasn’t a good one. He record the first out of the inning on a ground out, but he then proceeded to walk the next four batters. Keck allowed two runs and only threw eight of his 24 pitches for strikes.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 2 Update”

The first week of the Arizona Fall League is complete and the KC Royals contingent with the Surprise Saguaros have started off alright. The Saguaros went just 2-3.

The premium player of the eight Royals is outfielder Brian Fletcher, which guarantees him prime playing time. He played in three of the Saguaros’ five games during the first week.

On Opening Day, he started in left field and went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. In the third game, Fletcher was the DH and went 1-for-5. The alarming stat was his four strikeouts. The following day, he was back in left field and went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk.

In three games, Fletcher is 3-for-10 with five strikeouts.

In the second game for Surprise, three Royals made up their infield. Whit Merrifield led off and played second base. He went 1-for-3 with with two walks and two runs scored. Alex McClure started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Orlando Calixte started at third base (more on him later).

Unfortunately, both Merrifield and McClure committed errors. Merrifield‘s cost the Saguaros three runs. Those three runs were charged to Jon Keck, who allowed four hits and those runs over just 2/3 of an inning. It all happened with two outs and nobody on base.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 1 Update”

Six of the eight KC Royals participating in the 20th anniversary season of the Arizona Fall League got into action over the first two days.

Justin Marks started for the Surprise Saguaros on Opening Day. He pitched well, despite the poor strike to ball ratio (16 strikes, 18 balls). Marks did not allow a hit over the first three innings. He walked two while striking out two. However, the three Boston Red Sox relievers (Brock Huntzinger, Chris Martin, and Ryan Pressly) who followed him combined to allow five runs on nine hits in the loss.

Brian Fletcher started in left field and batted third in the order for the Saguaros. He went 1-for-2 with a walk, a strikeout, and an RBI.

In Surprise’s 8-4 victory on Wednesday, three Royals were in the starting infield. Whit Merrifield led off and played second base. He went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks. He also stole a base. His double-play partner was once again Alex McClure, who batted eighth and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

Orlando Calixte played third base and batted seventh. He went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

Unfortunately, both Merrifield and McClure made errors. Merrifield‘s came with two outs in the 7th inning and led to three unearned runs. Those runs were charged to Jon Keck. He got two quick outs (a strikeout and a ground out) before the flood gates opened. After the error, Keck allowed four straight hits (three singles and a double) before being pulled. He threw 28 pitches, 13 for strikes.

So after two games, Surprise is 1-1 against Peoria. The Saguaros are back in actin on Thursday at home against Mesa.

The 20th Anniversary season of the Arizona Fall League begins today. The KC Royals have a contingent of eight players on the Surprise Saguaros team made up of prospects from the Boston Red Sox, NY Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers.

Problem is, only two of the eight Royals are actually considered “prospects”. Maybe someone will impress enough to emerge as a prospect?

The first games of the 2012 AFL season begins soon (12:35pm MST), as Scottsdale visits Phoenix and Surprise visits Peoria. Surprise plays Peoria again on Wednesday for their first home game.

Let’s take a look at the Royals‘ participants:

Left-hander Justin Marks will be getting the start for Surprise on Opening Day. He had a very good 2012 season, in which he earned a late season promotion to Triple-A Omaha to help in their playoff chase. He was a Texas League All-Star, but an injury kept him from participating.

Marks made one regular season start for the Storm Chaasers (which lasted just 1.2 innings) and one playoff start in the divisional series. He pitched 4.1 innings in which he allowed three earned runs on five hits in the clincher.

» Continue reading “The AFL Begins Today”